A man named Tangaraju Suppiah was executed in Singapore on Wednesday for being convicted of conspiracy to traffic over 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cannabis.
Despite the United Nations Human Rights Office’s plea for clemency, the 46-year-old man was hanged, marking the city-state’s first execution in six months and the 12th since last year.
Singapore has strict anti-drug laws, and the government believes that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drug trafficking. However, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concerns over due process and fair trial guarantees, and believes that the death penalty does not deter crime.
“The death penalty is still being used in a small number of countries, largely because of the myth that it deters crime,” the OHCHR wrote in a statement.
Tangaraju’s family has asked for a retrial, but Singapore’s Home Affairs Ministry stated that his guilt had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
News by Breaking911
